Ephraem of Pec

Our father among the saints Jefrem (also Ephraem,in Serbian:Свети Јефрем патријарх пећки и српски) was Serbian Patriarch twice times: from 1375 to 1380 and from 1389 to 1390. His feast day is June 15/28, together with St. Lazar and St. Spyridon.

Life

Ephraem was born in Bulgaria in family of priest 1322. As the son of a priest, Ephrem from an early age yearned for a spiritual and ascetical life. He fled to Mt. Athos when his parents wanted him to marry. Later, he returned and lived a life of asceticism in the Ibar gorge and in the monastery of Decani [Kosovo]. Patriarch Sava IV built an ascetic cell for him in Ždrelo near Peć Monastery. When rivalry and war broke out concerning precedence in the State and, unfortunately even in the Church, the Synod chose Ephrem to succeed the deceased Sava as patriarch on October 3, 1375 . When he was informed of his election, he wept bitterly but was unable to refuse. He menaged to save Church from interfiering from feudal Lords renounced his throne and turned it over to Spiridon and again withdrew to the wilderness. Following the death of Spiridon in 1389 A.D., prince Lazar begged him to accept the throne again. He governed the Serbian Church in the difficult time of the defeat at Kosovo 1389 until 1390 . He renonced again 1390 and retiered in Ždrelo. St. Ephraem died in the eighty-eighth year of his earthly life and took up habitation with the Lord Whom he loved. His relics were reposed in the monastery of Peć by Patriarch Sava V. Patriarch Daniel IV canonised him 1407. Bishop Marko wrote Service to Saint Ephraem and Life of Saint Ephraem, Patriarch of the Serbs.